Job 36 Bible Commentary

John Darby’s Synopsis

Elihu:
Job's self-righteousness reproved, God's ways explained
and His power insisted upon

But these spiritual
affections of Job did not prevent his turning this
consciousness of integrity into a robe of
self-righteousness which hid God from him, and even hid
him from himself. He declares himself to be more
righteous than God (chap. 10: 7, 8; 16: 1417; 23:
1113; 27: 26). Elihu reproves him for this,
and on the other hand explains the ways of God. He shews
that God visits man and chastises him, in order that when
subdued and broken downif there is one who can shew
him the point of moral contact between his soul and God,
in which his soul would stand in truth before Him [1] God may act in grace and
blessing, and deliver him from the evil that oppresses
him. Elihu goes on to shew him that, if God chastises, it
is becoming in man to set himself before God to learn
wherein he has done wrong: in short, that the ways of God
are right, that He withdraweth not His eyes from the
righteous, but if they are in affliction He shews them
their transgressions, and if they return to Him in
obedience when He openeth their ear to discipline, He
will give them prosperity; but that the hypocrite shall
perish. The first case which Elihu brings forward (chap.
33) is God's dealings with men. He awakens their
consciences to their state, and puts His bridle on the
pride and self-will of man. God chastises and humbles
him. The second is specially with the righteous (chap.
36), the case of positive transgression but in one
righteous in God's sight, from whom He withdraws not His
eyes, in whom He allowed not iniquity; but in the first
case he was in the path of destruction. It was this case2] which needed the interpreter to
place him in uprightness before God. Finally, he insists
upon the incomprehensible power of God Almighty.

[1] This is a very
important point. God can bless in a direct manner with
the light of His grace, when the soul is brought into its
true place, to what it really is in His sight. Then,
whatever its state may be, He can bless it, in respect of
that state, with increased light and grace. If I have got
far from Him, and careless in walk, when I have the
consciousness how far I am, He can fully and directly
bless. But the soul must be brought into the recognition
of its state, or there would be no real blessing; I
should not see God in unison with it. For its sensible
state did not answer to its real state in God's sight.

[2] In this case it may be a first
conviction of sin, or the knowledge of self where self
has never been really judged, as was Job's case.